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IRVINE: Previously on "Restaurant Express..."
Get going!
...nine aspiring restaurateurs
begun their journey for the dream of a lifetime...
[ Gasps ]
Battle's engaged.
IRVINE: ...the chance to launch their very own restaurant
at the M Resort in Las Vegas.
[ Cheering ]
Then...
How much is it worth to have your plate stand out?
$270.
...it's the first-ever "Restaurant Express" auction.
[ Bangs podium ]
Sold, $405 to Jan.
Oh, my gosh, Jan!
Each of you will be responsible
for opening your very own upscale supper club.
Hello. Hi, folks.
ERIC: Everyone is going over to Adam's station.
ADAM: Now, all it is is "kill, crush, and destroy."
[ Grunts ]
IRVINE: In the end...
Eric, your journey on "Restaurant Express" ends here.
Now, only three remain on "Restaurant Express."
-- Captions by VITAC --
[ Tires screech ]
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
Here we are, down to the final three, on "Restaurant Express."
I put these guys through all kinds of stuff so far.
They've opened their pop-up restaurants
for all types of crowds over the past few weeks.
The person with the greatest flexibility, I think,
is the person that deserves the restaurant.
I dropped everything and came here.
I miss my girlfriend, I miss my kids.
The only reason to do that is to win a restaurant.
Today, we'll see if they've been paying attention.
JAN: Here's the thing, though.
He said that it was gonna get harder and harder, and it has.
I am so close.
I have never worked this hard in my life,
but the prize is worth all of it.
Now I'm almost, like, scared of next challenge.
It's only three of us left --
two home cooks and one chef -- and I know I can beat them.
I'm looking for a couple of people to take to the finale,
so today is as good a day as any for them to show and prove
that they've got what it takes
to be the next best restaurateur.
I bet nobody's gonna underestimate home cooks anymore.
[ Camel lows ]
[ Bird chirps ]
ADAM: [ Laughs ] Look at this.
[ Laughs ]
Zoo. I like zoos.
The bus pulls in, we're at a zoo.
[ Monkeys chittering ]
So, either I'm cooking pandas or something else is happening.
SEONKYOUNG: I see "Z-O-O" -- zoo -- like, really?
What are we doing, cooking monkey's brain or something?
[ Monkey screeches ]
Welcome to Orange County and the Santa Ana Zoo.
Congratulations
for making it to this point in the competition, guys.
Thank you, Chef.
Thank you.
Thank -- thank you, Chef.
I brought you to Orange County for a very simple reason --
it's one of the most diverse places in all of California.
It's the perfect place for your next lesson and challenge.
A good restaurateur should be able to identify
and satisfy their clientele
so, whether it's high-end clientele
or families on a budget,
you need to know who you're trying to attract
and how best to make them happy.
So, come with me.
This week, you'd better get ready,
because it will be a nonstop frenzy of cooking.
So, for your challenge this week,
you'll be serving...in these...
[ Horn honk ]
Oh, my God.
...your very own food truck.
[ Laughs ]
[ Horn honks ]
Awesome!
[ Chuckles ]
JAN: Wow.
Your name is big, Adam!
I see.
Over the top.
It's my food truck, with my name on it.
It was one of the most awesome things
I have ever seen in my life.
IRVINE: You'll be taking your food trucks
to three different locations to compete against each other.
Each venue will have
a distinctly different type of clientele.
In the end, the person with the highest overall sales
after three locations will be guaranteed a spot in the finale.
Well, we're here at the zoo,
so it's up to you to identify the clientele
and offer them food that will make them choose your truck
over your fellow competitors'.
[ Exhales ]
You'll have one hour to prep and cook...two items.
You can shop for all the ingredients you need
from the "Restaurant Express" mobile pantry,
and you'll be serving for about 150 people.
JAN: Oh, my God.
Do you know how long it takes to fix dinner for your family?
You can fix dinner in about an hour.
Okay. Get in your trucks and get going.
One hour, two dishes.
JAN: We ran straight to the truck.
So, I'm thinking that we're cooking for kids at the zoo.
ADAM: We'll go run and get ingredients
and build a menu for kids, because we're at a zoo.
Feed 'em cookies.
There were cookies -- it was a no-brainer --
and I wanted to make a s'mores. There it was. Simple.
So, in New York, 8 out of 10 trucks
are still sausage and pepper trucks.
So, there they were -- sausage, peppers.
It's an easy pickup. Shazam.
I can sell the food.
SEONKYOUNG: I'm really excited to cook on the food truck.
I always wanted to have one.
I've never, ever cooked at the food truck, and I'm so excited.
So, I'm going with a Teriyaki Chicken -- everybody loves it,
kids loves it -- and funnel cake.
What is better than that?
I've never made a funnel cake before,
but I saw someone making on the Food Network.
It looked easy.
I'm making funnel cake with coconut milk,
giving a little bit of Asian twist into it.
This is nothing. [ Bleep ]
Why they going all over the place?
It is not working, either!
I don't have the right tool to make the batter...squirt.
[ Humming ]
How about that? Like a doughnut.
So, I'm just gonna make doughnuts.
Oh, yeah.
We're gonna serve a chicken teriyaki,
and I'm doing little mini doughnuts.
Sausage and peppers have been served at every street fair
that I've ever gone to,
so I'm thinking that it's a good idea to do them here.
For the adults, the first thing thinks of
when I see a truck is sausage and peppers.
I'm making the ultimate children's dish,
which is grilled cheese, and I've yet to find the kid
that doesn't like grilled cheese.
The one good thing about this is it's gonna melt easy.
Grilled cheese with homemade potato chips
and a s'mores-chocolate-chip cookie.
If there's one thing I do know, it's cooking for children.
The whole point is to bring in the children,
so grilled cheese on croissant or Hawaiian rolls,
and we're doing a chicken nugget.
I quickly breaded the chicken and got it in the fryer.
These might not work. We'll see.
And I made chicken nuggets.
Let's taste one.
It's good.
Kids know familiar things. Chicken nuggets.
[ Ostrich chirps ]
IRVINE: Well, welcome to the zoo.
There are three food trucks behind me.
Enjoy whatever you want to enjoy and spend lots of money,
but, above all else, for the children,
have lots of fun, and eat lots of food, okay?
Go ahead.
Scream out, "Grilled cheese."
Grilled cheeses! S'mores! Desserts! Come and get it!
One grilled cheese?
WOMAN: We tried Adam's truck.
Him yelling just got our attention.
Grilled cheese are great to have at the zoo.
Kids will always like those.
SEONKYOUNG: Two chicken?
WOMAN: The teriyaki chicken was mouthwatering.
All: Chicken teriyaki!
JAN: You order right here.
MAN: Chicken nuggets.
How 'bout I cook just like I do for my own little boy?
It'll be coming up in just a moment.
[ Groans ]
What else is holding?
I just was thinking, "If I make chicken nuggets
hot and to-order, this is how they will taste best."
It never occurred to me which areas of prep
I should have gotten out of the way to clean up
and clarify the whole process for later.
MAN: We were waiting here a little bit too long --
a little bit longer, I'll probably leave.
We're waiting on nuggets across the board.
Next one'll be up in about two minutes.
I know I had had delays in getting the food out,
but I did not 100% understand how far in the weeds I was.
The only problem with Jan's food truck is
that we had to wait 15 minutes to get our food.
Thank you for waiting.
Grilled cheese alert,
then we got another chicken nuggets behind it.
Service was intense.
I'm having to make things to order,
and I felt very overwhelmed.
Okay, another croissant? Got it.
Can you be patient with me just a minute, and I'll hook you up?
WOMAN: I ordered the grilled-cheese sandwich
about eight minutes ago,
and I got half my order,
and they're still waiting to call my number.
Two.
SEONKYOUNG: Two more chicken?
Yeah.
I thought doughnut would be the big one.
Chicken again?
Nobody wants doughnuts!
I'm glad people love my chicken,
but I'm running out way too fast.
Look at all your people!
Five.
Five chicken?
One more doughnut.
One more doughnut.
I don't -- I-I cannot make five chicken.
Only got eight or nine plates out
and [Groans] and I'm out of my chicken.
I ordered a couple plates of the teriyaki
and a plate of the doughnuts.
I have been waiting for about ten minutes.
SEONKYOUNG: Yeah, I didn't make enough.
Without food, I'm not going to win.
[ Breathing heavily ]
[ Stomps foot ]
IRVINE: Coming up on "Restaurant Express"...
You better go and run, girl.
I'm really busy right now!
ADAM: We're at some sort of super-upscale mall.
JAN: We're down to three people. I need to win this.
I was very disappointed, there.
[ Tires screech ]
Look at all your people!
I don't -- I-I cannot make five chicken.
Only got eight or nine plates out
and [Groans] and I'm out of my chicken.
Yeah, I didn't make enough.
I'm going to be in trouble.
Seonkyoung!
SEONKYOUNG: Yes, Chef?
What do you mean, "no chicken"?
Um...
There's all these people waiting for chicken!
Yeah, Chef, I see it.
Then you better cook more chicken!
I'm going to make it happen. I can do anything.
You better go and run, girl -- now.
SEONKYOUNG: Robert is right --
I've got to get more chicken to win this competition.
Dear me! Whoo!
The little one's restless.
She wants chicken and she wants doughnuts.
JAN: Two kid's chicken nuggets.
Jan?
Yes, sir.
Hi, there, Chef.
How's it going?
You have a lot of people outside waiting, huh?
I do.
Hopefully, I've got my method down for putting the food out.
You know what happens if you can't get the food out fast enough, right?
People leave and go somewhere else.
They leave and go somewhere else.
Yes, and I do not want that to happen.
So...
So, here I am at Jan's food truck.
I've got the chicken nuggets here,
which she's having a little trouble keeping up with.
Chicken's moist, it's crispy, got a lot of flavor to it.
[ Laughing ] This is our grilled-cheese croissant.
The cheese is obviously not melted here.
Not much flavor, but it's a grilled cheese with mayonnaise.
Unless she grills the cheese properly,
even children will send it back.
JAN: It'll be coming up in just a moment.
I should have pre-cooked some things.
WOMAN: We ordered the grilled cheese from Jan's food truck,
and we waited a long time for it,
and when we did get the grilled cheese,
it was cold and the cheese was not melted,
so we're very unhappy with it.
Here's that single grilled cheese.
MAN: And another grilled cheese.
How many all day?
Two.
The grilled cheese and cookies and marshmallows were awesome.
I'm all sold out of grilled cheese.
I thought I had more,
but I -- I have sausage and peppers and desserts.
We are sold out of grilled cheese.
He announced that he's out of the grilled cheese,
so I'm disappointed about it.
Adam!
Yes, Chef?
How are you?
I'm, uh... trying my best, Chef.
Liv-- living the dream.
How many grilled cheese did you make to start with?
Um, about 25.
About 25.
25, 27. I'm sold out already.
That was sold out to the sausage and peppers, three to one.
That's not enough for 150 people.
Okay.
IRVINE: This is gonna be a mouthful here.
I would have liked to have seen something...
some type of dressing on the bread,
but the peppers and sausage, great flavor.
Grilled cheese.
Cheese is melted.
I think the kids are enjoying it.
I think the marshmallow should have been melted.
That's gonna be a big winner.
Lots of flavors going on there.
[ Muffled ] This is really good.
ADAM: Still have sausage and peppers and desserts.
We were running out of time, I felt like I was behind.
There you go, sausage and pepper.
SEONKYOUNG: Hopefully people patient enough waiting for me!
I'm really busy right now.
I'm cooking another batch of chicken.
Word is, the chicken is good.
I've got ten dollars to spend, I'm gonna spend it here.
SEONKYOUNG: You -- you have a 10 on there, right?
Yeah, that's what you told me.
I'm doing my best, as fast as I can.
Chicken is coming!
Two chicken.
The teriyaki chicken was definitely worth the wait.
IRVINE: So, this is Seonkyoung's teriyaki chicken.
So, the teriyaki chicken is actually very tasty.
I think the children would enjoy this as well as adults.
I think it's worth waiting for.
Chicken is coming! Five chicken.
People are staying.
They heard the chicken was very good.
I sold a lot.
Five chicken?
Two desserts.
IRVINE: You have 20 seconds!
Two large grilled cheese.
Here's one large that's ready.
SEONKYOUNG: People love teriyaki this much,
I'll probably make the teriyaki whole, entire other challenges.
MAN: One dessert left!
IRVINE: Time is up!
Service is done! Thank you all for coming!
[ Cheers, applause ]
I feel like I won today because everybody loved my food.
Would you like to have some doughnuts?
Oh, yeah! Thank you!
I'm so sorry, and thank you so much for waiting!
Even though I didn't get enough chicken,
I was working and working and working,
making the food and selling.
I hope I can win today.
First and foremost, I was very disappointed there.
Jan, you made me a grilled cheese that wasn't even melted.
Sorry about that.
And your slow service and poor quality put you in third place.
Adam, I said, "prep for 150 people."
You made 27 sandwiches.
That wasn't enough. You're in second place.
Seonkyoung, you ran out of chicken, you fought hard,
and now you're in the lead, but only by $20.
I'm gonna take you, now, to a different location,
and I want to see you do a lot better.
Are you ready? Can you do it?
Yes, Chef.
Is your heart in it?
Yes, Chef.
I can't hear you.
Yes, Chef!
Yes, Chef. Ready.
Then show me.
'Cause this...wasn't showing me.
[ Tires screech ]
Coming up on "Restaurant Express"...
SEONKYOUNG: Last challenge, I ran out of food and I ran out, crying.
ADAM: Four fish, all day.
I'm banging it out, banging it out the door.
JAN: I need to crank out food very quickly to win.
[ Tires screech ]
ADAM: We're at some sort of super-upscale mall
with fancy ladies shopping, all these really upscale stores
my grandmother used to drag me to when I was a little kid.
I love shopping, but, today,
I'd rather be cooking in the food truck than shopping.
This is Fashion Island Shopping Center.
It's the second location for your food trucks.
The people who shop here are affluent
and have discerning palates,
so I doubt your chicken strips and grilled cheese
will work here.
I don't try to cook beyond what I normally do.
I love comfort food --
Completely out of my realm of experience.
So, you'll have one hour to prep and cook
two items to sell to 150 people.
Remember, you are cooking for your clientele.
Now, get to work.
I have no idea what I'm making.
Anybody need a duck breast? No?
But I'm picking all the ingredients that I know
when I can make something out of it quickly.
[ Breathing heavily ] Oh, gosh. Somebody save me.
Somebody save my life.
I'm making a crispy mixed-seafood taco,
and I'm making a crab salad
with charred corn and crispy macadamia nuts.
It's light, it's healthy, it's upscale.
Here comes the big party. I smell my nuts burning.
So, I picked two items that I thought
that would appeal to upscale lunch,
and I made a crab-meat salad.
This is a home-run item for this kind of clientele.
These are two nice plates that I'm making,
and I think that they're gonna be hard-pressed to...
do much better in an hour.
SEONKYOUNG: The clients, they know about flavor, really well.
I'm making mango salad with shrimp,
and I'm making Chinese duck-breast sandwich.
I want to make a gourmet Asian food.
Fry up for me. Fry up for me.
I have a lot of things to do for this one.
Last challenge, I ran out of food and I ran out, crying,
and I'm going to learn from it.
This time, I'm going to make it happen.
JAN: There's no second chances at this point.
We're down to three people. I need to win this.
I need to show what I am able to do.
I can cook just about anything, with planning, but in an hour...
Trying to really think my game plan through,
making sure I'm prepped out as far as I can.
I'm trying to make sure that I have dishes
that will appeal to the audience, here.
I'm doing a French dip,
but I'm using a filet, very thinly sliced.
I've got a chicken-breast sandwich
with a creamy tarragon dressing.
For the price point, I did go a little bit higher.
First of all, this is an upscale area.
People are spending more money.
Secondly, I had fabulous ingredients,
so people expect to pay a little bit more
if you've got ingredients of that quality.
This is a very different demographic.
So, good afternoon, everybody.
Welcome to the lunch service. There are three trucks.
You can eat at any one of them, and enjoy.
Go ahead.
JAN: Welcome, welcome! Two chickens?
I need to crank out food very quickly to win.
What's next, beef or chicken?
MAN: Beef and chicken.
Beef and chicken.
SEONKYOUNG: Okay, get the order, please!
WOMAN: One of each.
I'm making sandwich. I'm really busy.
I'm getting lots of sandwich orders.
I think I'm gonna win this one.
WOMAN: I ordered the duck-breast sandwich,
and it is absolutely delicious.
SEONKYOUNG: People love my food.
MAN: Two crabs.
WOMAN: I'm eating the love-crab salad.
I think it's really good when they give you a lot of crab.
I like it.
Twelve crabs all day, Chef.
ADAM: Twelve crab, all day.
I knew that a jumbled-up crab-meat salad would sell,
so I'm going to win.
Five crabs.
SEONKYOUNG: Right, coming.
Third salad!
Five sandwiches coming!
I prepped as much as I can,
but people are still waiting outside of the truck.
I'm doing my best!
I'm sorry about the slow service!
I'm doing my best!
MAN: It's about about 15 minutes, now.
We're just really hungry, really hungry, right now.
IRVINE: Seonkyoung has a line forming, which could cost her the lead
if she can't get her food out fast enough.
SEONKYOUNG: Doing my best speed as I can.
Seonkyoung!
Yeah, Chef!
What is selling the most?
Both, together.
Everybody wants to try both.
All right. You've got a lot of people there.
Yes, Chef. I'm working really hard.
You know what you need to do?
You should be cooking things continually,
not waiting to put more on, and on, and on, and on.
That's your inexperience in a restaurant.
Thank you, Chef.
Sandwich is coming!
Again, keeping to her roots,
she has a shrimp-and-mango salad here.
Let's see how it tastes.
Great flavor, fresh mango.
Shrimp's a little overcooked,
and it could have had a little spice in it, for me.
So, here we have the duck --
pretty much half of a duck breast, there.
So...
[ Chuckles ]
Wow.
The flavor in this, and the tenderness, is exceptional.
A great sandwich.
If I was to get this in a restaurant,
I would be a very, very happy camper.
WOMAN: That's a really good sandwich.
There was a lot of duck on it, so it's pretty delicious.
I love duck. My favorite.
I was -- and I haven't -- but I haven't had it in a sandwich.
It's great. Really nice, thick slices.
I think the shrimp salad was really good.
It was very fresh-tasting.
MAN: Four fish all day, Chef.
ADAM: Kind of got into a little rhythm.
It's happening pretty quickly.
IRVINE: Adam.
Hi, Chef.
So, how are we doing?
Pretty well.
So, what do you think... one taco for ten dollars.
Have you been selling it?
Yes, I'm selling a lot.
I'm giving 'em a nice amount, and it's an expensive fish,
so I think it's worth 10 bucks.
So, this is your crab salad, right?
Yes, and this is selling pretty well.
And you put your food out pretty fast, no worries?
Pretty -- pretty good, Chef. Yeah, I made --
You have a whole line of people.
I'm good. I-I-I can do it.
ADAM: I'm not worried about the line.
I'm gonna get the food out fast.
The crab salad...$10. Is it worth $10?
Well, we'll find out.
I think he should have had a little bit more crab,
a little bit more seasoning, some lemon juice on it,
but it's very fresh, it's very light,
especially in this weather.
Now, let's try the taco.
Fish is seasoned nicely.
It's got a little spice to it, some crispy vegetables.
One thing I'm a bit concerned with is
he didn't warm the tortillas.
They're a little bit dry, and if he'd have warmed them,
made them a little bit more supple, it would've been nicer.
Because the tortilla wasn't warmed up,
and it just kind of broke apart.
It was really dry.
I didn't think the taco was worth $10.
I got the crab salad, and it was fantastic,
and it had lots of different flavors in there,
something that I would not expect -- macadamia nuts, fruit.
The fish tacos from Adam's are tasty.
JAN: During service, I'm getting the food out at a much higher rate.
I think I was much smarter with my prep.
I still would like to get food out more quickly.
Be careful, the jus is hot.
Oh, no!
Jan, it looks like World War III in here.
JAN: And I apologize.
Your Italian-beef sandwich -- $15.
Yes.
A few people complaining about the price.
But I'm hoping the quality of the ingredient speaks the price.
Okay.
And I have sold quite a few of them.
We happy with this? Ready to go?
Yes.
I wish the jus had developed more flavor,
but, given what I had, I'm -- I'm okay with it.
Okay.
MAN: One more beef, Chef.
On it's way, pulling it now.
So, this is the certified-Angus beef au jus.
The beef is cooked nicely. It's seasoned nicely.
I would like to have had a little bit more pepper in it,
because the bullion is very salty.
It's a good sandwich, but is it worth $15?
Not to me, it's not.
Three chickens and two beefs.
JAN: Got it.
Two chickens.
IRVINE: You have 20 seconds!
Four fish all day, Chef.
Four fish all day.
I'm banging it out, banging it out the door,
like I feel like it's supposed to go.
SEONKYOUNG: Another sandwich!
Third salad!
IRVINE: Time's up!
I feel exhausted,
but now I think I have a good chance to win the whole thing.
Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes the lunch service.
Thank you very much for coming.
I sold 17 pounds of filet and 15 pounds of chicken in one hour.
I had the highest price points there.
I know I sold well over a third of the guests,
so I made a lot of money.
IRVINE: Adam, I have to tell you... you squeaked out a win,
but Seonkyoung is on your tail, and Jan is not far behind.
It's very close.
Well, I'm gonna tell you, a good restaurateur is tireless.
I hope you've still got some energy,
because your challenge isn't over,
and, for one of you, this could be the chance
for you to get back in the race.
So, now I've spent hours banging it in these trucks.
It's hot. I'm tired.
Now we have to take the trucks
to the third challenge of the day.
What are you waiting for?
Get back in your trucks and get going.
[ Tires screech ]
Coming up on "Restaurant Express"...
SEONKYOUNG: Looks like people always waiting for my food.
Chicken is coming!
JAN: The time is going fast on this one.
ADAM: Last person left alive,
that's the person who should get the restaurant.
[ Tires screech ]
IRVINE: At the end of two services,
Adam has a narrow lead, followed by Seonkyoung,
who is barely keeping an edge on Jan.
Unfortunately, there isn't room for three in the finale,
so I'm looking for a clear winner to emerge
after the final location.
Here we are at Orange County's
most popular beach-side nightlife destination.
Here, you'll find 20- to 30-something crowd, right?
So, they'll be leaving the bars
and looking for something to eat,
and you guys are gonna feed them.
It's your job to figure out what they would like to eat.
ADAM: It's down to the final three.
I'm exhausted.
I don't c-- I'll never tell him I'm exhausted.
That's the credo in the restaurant.
"You ready to go, Chef?" "Yes, Chef, let's go."
IRVINE: And I have to tell you this --
it's a very tight race right now.
So, I can't stress enough
how important it is for each one of you to finish strong.
JAN: Robert's saying that anybody can go home.
I'm getting pretty tired. I'm worn out.
And it's late,
and I don't happen to be one of those kids at the bar,
so I need to walk in here
and just kick some [bleep] and get it done.
Are you ready?
Yes, Chef!
Yes.
Oh, yes. Ready.
Get going.
ADAM: It's not enough time.
You're trying your best...but...
you really are rushing against the clock.
I've been doing okay, but I really need to step it up.
JAN: Hoping that I've at least learned enough
to stay in the running.
ADAM: I'm making a short-rib flatbread
with wilted scallions and hoisin sauce.
There's coconut shrimp with grilled pineapple.
College kids, they understand it...it's easy to eat.
Last person left alive,
that's the person who should get the restaurant.
JAN: It's down to three of us.
Yeah, I'm nervous.
I don't want to be done,
so I have to make money and win this competition.
That's not gonna work, either.
[ Breathing heavily ] So, I thought a little Mexican hot chocolate...
would go nice...with some tacos.
I've got pork, I've got chicken.
It's been a long time since I've gone on an all-nighter,
but college kids like easy-to-eat, bite-size things,
so I'm making tacos.
Doing tacos so that I can
definitely put them out faster than sandwiches, plus,
I still feel like I need to show that I have a range,
and, having done sandwiches now, and done burgers,
I haven't done anything like this, yet.
Traditional, classic Korean food is never made in one hour,
so I have to make shortcut.
It's really intense to cook two different kinds
of Korean food in an hour, because we marinate overnight.
It's the best way to do.
I'm making Korean beef short ribs,
and I'm making Korean fried chicken bites
with a sweet-and-spicy sauce,
and these are actually Korean...
One night will change my life.
Why not give it my all?
And I know I can beat them. I can do anything.
Finish this... start cooking everything.
I tell you, the time is going fast on this one.
IRVINE: The contestants are neck-and-neck
at the final location.
The next few hours will decide
who will go to the finale and who will be left behind.
The service starts, and I'm still cooking.
I'm trying to get more than enough food,
because I'm tired of running out my food every single time.
JAN: Taco Tuesday! What have we got coming up?
One order of Mexican chocolate,
and then two chicken, two pork.
No matter how exhausting this is, I'm going to stay focused,
to truly shine, to win this competition.
Order up.
MAN: I can help next in line.
One of each.
Two short ribs, two shrimps, all day.
ADAM: Two short ribs, two shrimps.
That comes out to $20, Ma'am.
Three shrimp all day, two flatbread all day.
ADAM: The focus is only on one thing,
which is firing at 110% to win this, right now -- right now.
Take all the orders you can, okay?
Sure thing.
Ta-da!
Can I get the next order, please?
Can I get an order of chicken bites, please?
Chicken bites, too, with the sweet-and-spicy sauce.
Three more chickens.
I'm really impressed
with what I have done in this limited kitchen,
limited time, limited ingredients,
and I'm moving as fast I can move,
but none of my chicken is ready to fry.
We're up to seven chicken.
Okay, I'm keep making chicken!
I'm really frustrated,
because looks like people always waiting for my food.
There's more chicken?
Keep telling me what I need -- what I need to make.
It's up there, right on the top.
Chicken is coming.
[ Tires screech ]
IRVINE: Coming up on "Restaurant Express"...
It is now time to send one of you to the finale.
[ Tires screech ]
WOMAN: We're up to seven chicken.
SEONKYOUNG: Okay, I'm keep making chicken!
I'm really frustrated,
because looks like people always waiting for my food.
Chicken.
Almost done.
30 more seconds.
These customers choose my truck.
I will do everything and anything to keep them here,
serve my food.
Chicken's coming!
So, here at Seonkyoung's truck,
she's prepared chicken with a sweet-and-spicy sauce
and Korean short ribs with kimchee.
Chicken is excellent.
It's crispy, it's spicy,
it's seasoned correctly, and it's cooked well.
I would buy that.
Short ribs.
What she's done is very smart.
She's actually seared them, and then boiled them afterwards
in soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.
And we have crunchiness from the kimchee.
Two very good dishes. It's gonna be a tough one.
Let's see.
Chicken!
The short ribs... they were, like, incredible.
They were, like, so, like, flavorful,
and they just came right off the bone.
We went to the Korean one. It was amazing.
Very hot, and the ribs were amazing.
Excellent, excellent.
JOY: Two chicken, two pork.
JAN: Got it.
Pork, chicken, and pork.
There's the third chicken.
One chicken, one hot chocolate.
Okay, so, you've got some more orders coming in.
At that point, though, I was so pressed.
The orders were coming in faster
than my server could get them lined up.
Is two chicken, two pork up?
We have a lot of people in line.
Joy, there's orders up!
Orders are backing up, and the line is huge.
Three orders out. Here's number four.
So, the one and one. That'll be $10.
Part of me is panicking.
[ Pans clatter ]
Ah, shoot.
Oh, Lord, look what I did.
[ Groans ] Shoot!
I am still getting food out, and the line keeps replenishing.
Coming right now.
So, this is Jan's truck here.
She decided to go with a hot chocolate.
Why? I'm not so sure.
Well, it's chocolaty and very, very sweet --
something I would not drink after drinking alcohol,
that's for sure.
We've got a pork taco here and a chicken one,
dressed with a lime sauce.
Pork is a little dry.
The tortilla is also dry.
So, what you end up is like eating sawdust.
Um...good idea, poorly executed.
WOMAN: I got pork taco and one chicken.
Flavor's good. The tortilla is a little dry.
I got the pork tacos from Jan's food truck.
I like the spices on it.
Super-spicy, and...it's really creamy.
Tortillas kind of broke apart, though.
The tacos weren't anything spectacular.
They were anything, maybe,
I'd pick up at a fast-food restaurant.
I need to keep my speed up so I can win this challenge.
Chicken, chicken.
Here's one shortbread. One shrimp!
There you go.
ADAM: Oh, I seem to be pretty busy. I sold 70.
That means I sold to 80% of the people.
Two short ribs, two shrimps.
And everything's critical now.
There are three people left, so I need to win this contest.
So, here is the short-rib flatbread.
Short ribs are a bit tough, very spicy,
but, after all, hey,
if the guests like it, we'll see what happens.
The flatbread's very good. It had a good flavor to it.
I think the coconut's -- or, the shrimp's a little hard,
but, other than that, it's pretty good.
I like the taste. I like the flavor.
Here at the yellow truck, I got the coconut shrimp.
It's pretty good.
Sort of seemed like the mango overpowered everything,
you know, and didn't really let the shrimp do its job.
IRVINE: You have 20 seconds!
Go, go, go, go, go,!
Two flatbread, all day.
I'm out of chicken.
Come on, hurry up!
I'm talking to myself, but hurry up!
Two short ribs, two shrimps.
IRVINE: Time's up!
I'm done! I'm done.
I still feel like I'm too slow.
I did my best, so, hopefully, that was enough.
I thought that I did very well,
looking at the whole circumstance.
I'm done.
I know I'd had delays in getting the food out,
but I still sold a lot of food.
I thought that I nailed every part of this challenge.
So, I didn't feel like I was in the bottom.
The dinner service is over!
We appreciate your time!
[ Cheers, applause ]
So, today, our food trucks
have done three very different services.
The first one was at a zoo, with families and children.
All: Chicken teriyaki!
The second one was at a high-end shopping center,
with affluent shoppers with very discerning palates.
I got the crab salad from Adam's truck, and it was fantastic.
And the third one was right here at the bar scene.
WOMAN: I got the pork tacos from Jan's food truck.
I like the spices on it.
Who's going home? Who's staying?
I don't know.
What I have in here will decide.
[ Tires screech ]
Coming up, on "Restaurant Express"...
This is my bus, and my rules.
JAN: I have never actually faced a firing squad,
but that is what is running through my mind.
[ Tires screech ]
Hello.
Good morning.
Hello.
ADAM: Once again, I'm standing in front of Robert
and the two girls, and someone's going home.
I've been on the bottom of these things before, and it sucked.
You're now that much closer to your dream job.
If I go home today...
I have no idea what I'm gonna do.
So, for one of you, it will all be worth it.
JAN: I have never actually faced a firing squad,
but that is what is running through my mind.
Remember how I said you want to be the person
who made the most money this week?
Why?
Because that person has a free pass to the final challenge.
So, I'll start with you, first, Jan.
You did a pretty good job
of preparing food for your clientele at each location.
Thank you.
I think you run into some issues
with the execution of your dishes...
but, overall, the feedback from your diners...were mixed.
I had very limited ingredients, and I had limited time,
and it was a brand-new experience,
but, at the same time, I sold a ton of dishes.
Seonkyoung.
At all three locations, you nailed the clientele.
But...you kept diners waiting, and that really hurt your sales.
Adam, you barely hung in the race with the others
after selling out of the product fast at the zoo,
but your items were usually very well priced.
It is now time to send one of you to the finale.
Adam.
You made the most money.
That means that you are guaranteed a spot
in the final challenge and a chance to compete
for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Thank you, Chef.
Go ahead, get on the bus.
Thank you.
It took a second to, like, calculate, but that was it.
I'd made it to the finale. I passed all these people.
IRVINE: That's the first time I've seen you smile.
Okay. Here I am.
I have a true shot at winning a restaurant now.
[ Sighs ]
Are you nervous, right now?
Somebody's going home.
Well, you know how I say this is my bus and my rules.
Well, guess what?
I'm changing the game up again.
I'm sending you both... to the finale.
[ Laughs ]
[ Laughing ] Yay!
JAN: It's a major relief to me that I'm going to the next stage,
and I didn't see that coming at all.
Right? Right?
IRVINE: Jan? Seonkyoung?
You will have to battle each other
for a spot in the final challenge.
I'll be seeing you very soon.
Now, get on the bus.
I don't want to go to head-to-head with Jan,
but I would love to go to head-to-head with Adam.
I want to take him down.
Everybody didn't think you were gonna get on the bus today, did you?
Now we're all here, once again.
Okay, great. It's a big bus. Why not, who cares?
I'm gonna get to cook against one of them anyway,
it's just getting there a little bit differently.
Nothing is easy.
Well, it's not supposed to be.
IRVINE: It's almost over...
and one of you will...
get the dream of a lifetime.
You have one more shot to do whatever you got to do.
That's true.
[ Tires screech ]
Next time, on "Restaurant Express"...
Welcome back to Las Vegas.
You've fought so hard for the past six weeks
to get to this point.
One of you will launch a brand-new restaurant
right up there.
JAN: 60 minutes that can change your life forever?
We're in it. It's mine.
I almost can smell it, and I can taste it.
I can do anything!
IRVINE: All right, stop!
Would you ever talk to your staff over a press?!
JAN: There's no room for error in this.
There is no room for error.
SEONKYOUNG: I had to make something,
and I saw these octopus.
Are you nervous?
I'm...nervous all the time in front of you. [ Laughs ]
Table number six, are you sure that's not out already?
You're putting in d--
you're putting in the wrong table numbers.
Getting the food to my guests
is more important than anything else.
The food has to get to the guests.
IRVINE: All right, stop! Stop!
Treat them like human beings!
It's my sugar! You don't steal my ingredient!
ADAM: Take no more prisoners. Now, it's time to win.
JAN: I don't want to go home.
The winner of "Restaurant Express" is...